Apparatus for forcing wires, wire ropes, cables, &amp;c., through conduits.



No. 644,884. Patented Mar. 6, I900. u. WRIGLEY.

APPARATUS FOR FORCING WIRES, WIRE ROPES, CABLES, &.c., THROUGH CONDUITS.

(Application filed Mar. 11, 1899.) I (No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet l.

INVENTOR WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS w: NORRIS PETERS co mom-Limo" wunmu'mn, n q

No. 644,884. Patented Mar. 6, I900. J. wmauzv.

APPARATUS FOR FORGING WIRES, WIRE ROPES, CABLES, 81.0., THROUGH CONDUITS.

(Application filad Msr. 11, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2v ATTORNEYS Tm: moans PETERS coy, wmaumo" WASHINGTON, n. c.

, Patented Mar. 6, I900. J. WRIGLEY.

APPARATUS FOR FORCING WIRES, WIRE ROPES, CABLES, 81.0., THROUGH COND UITS. (Application filed. Mar. 11, 1899.)

3 Sheets-$heet 3.

(No Model.)

ATTORNEYS rTnD STATES PATENT O FICE.

JOHN \VRIGLEY, OF ELMIRA, NEXV YORK.

APPARATUS FOR FORCING WIRES, WIRE ROPESCABLES, &c., THROUGH CONDUlTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Application filed March 11,1899.

To all whom 2315 may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN VVRIGLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing in Elmira, in the county of Ghemung and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Forcing Wires, Wire Ropes, Cables, &c., Through Conduits, &c.; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus for forcing wire or wire ropes or cables, &c., through pipes, piping, tubing, or other conduits. r

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus adapted to 'the above-mentioned purposeswhich shall be simple and durable in construction and whose parts shall be so formed and disposed that the apparatus may be operated with thorough effectiveness and convenience.

The invention consists in the improved apparatus for forcing wire or wire ropes or cables, &c., through pipes, piping, tubing, or other conduits and in the combination and arrangement of the various parts ofthe said apparatus, substantially as will be hereinafter pointed out, and finallyeinbodied in the clauses of the claim.

My invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a sectional view through a manhole and conduits leadinginto the same, showing my improved apparatus for driving wire or wire ropes or cables, &c., through said conduits arranged in said manhole. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus as shown in Fig. 1--that is to'say, in side elevation. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view showing in front elevation that portion of the apparatus which is shown in Fig. 2, a portion of said apparatus being broken away. Fig. 4 is an enlarged top plan view of that portion of the apparatus which appears in Fig. 2. Fig. 5is a view in front elevation of a modified form of a portion of the apparatus. Fig. 6 is a front View of a certain detail portion of the Patent No. 644,884, dated March 6, 1900.

Serial No. 708,652. (No model.)

apparatus shown in Fig. 5. Fig. '7 is a View showing in front elevation a portion of another modified form of my invention. Fig. 8 is a view showing in front elevation a portion of still another modified form of my invention. Figs. 9 and 10, respectively, are plan or diagrammatic views illustrating the arrangement of the gearing which is shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Fig. 11 is a plan or diagrammatic view illustrating yet another arrangement of the said gearing, and Fig. 12 is an end view of a portion of the modified form of the apparatus which appears in Fig. 5.

In said drawings, ctdesignates a well or manhole into which leads one or more conduits a and which. is provided with a metallic top plate a having an opening therein constituting the entrance to the manhole, said opening being surrounded by an upwardlyextending flange (1, integrally formed on the plate a and provided with an inwardly-projecting bead or rib or, whereupon the usual removable cover for said manhole is sustained.

I? designates a Hat bar whose end portions 1 are deflected into a plane at right angles to the general plane of said bar, said end portions being adapted torest upon the flange a of the plate a and to be'clamped thereto by bolts b having their lower ends formed with hooks 73 which engage the rib or bead. a

The bar I) has several longitudinal slots b one of which is adapted to receive a bolt 0, carrying Washers c and constituting a device for adj ustably securing to the bar Z) a vertical elongated hanger 0 which is also provided with longitudinal slotsci, one of which is penetrated by said bolt 0.

cldesignates the driving mechanism proper. This mechanism is adjustably secured to the hanger c in a manner hereinafter described.

6 denotes the wire or wire rope or electric or other cable, as the case may be, which is adapted to be driven by the mechanism (1 into one of the conduits o. and which is fed from a suitably-supported reel e to said mech anism over a roller 6 that is journaled in a bracket e sustained on the bar 6 by a bolt e having washers e and penetrating one of the slots b of the bar I) and a longitudinal slot 6 in said bracket.

The frame of the mechanism (Z consists of a platef, in the rear end of which is journaled a guide-roller f and near the other end of and from which projects laterally and then upwardly a bracket f having a vertical slot f which is open at the top. Midway between the ends of said platefextends upwardlyavertical projection f having two or more openings f adapted to be penetrated by bolts f, whereby the mechanism 61 is adjustably suspended from the hanger 0 said bolts f being received by the lower slot 0 of said hanger.

g g g are rollers which are journaled in the platefand which are so disposed as to best serve the function for which they are intendednamely, to straighten the wire or cable after it leaves the guide-rollerj'" and before it reaches the driving means proper. It is to be remarked that I do not wish to limit myself to the number or exactdisposition of these straightening-rollers g g g which I have shown in the drawings.

The driving means proper, which I have above referred to, may be thus described:

The plate f is provided with a slot h, which prevent lateral displacement of a spiral spring h", that is disposed between said members. 2' designates a bridge-piece which surmounts the bracket f and which is pivoted at one side of the slot therein, being adapted to be swung around soas to bridge said slot, its free end being held in place by a thumb-screw i, which a recess 1, in said bridge-piece receives. Another bridge-piece similar in every particular tothe one just described is arranged in a corresponding disposition upon the plate f, being adapted to bridge its slot 7L. These bridge-pieces receive screws h, each having a suitable handle h and adapted to hear at its lower end against the top of the uppermost divided bearing-block, so as to removably secure the pair of bearing-blocks in position.

In the divided bearing-blocks are journaled shaftsj j, carrying intermeshing pinions 9' respectively, which are mounted on said shafts between the plate f and the bracket f and also carrying feedrolls j" j, between which the wire or cable is fed and whereby it is driven. It should be noted that in the preferred form of my apparatus these feed-rolls are not situated between the bracket f and the plate f, but are mounted on the free ends of the shafts j j outside of the frame, which the plate and its bracket constitutes. This arrangement is most convenient, because by virtue of it the wire or electric cable maybe released laterally from the rolls.

The end of one of the shaftsjj, preferably the lower one, is squared and receives a crank j, whereby said shaft may be driven, and consequently the feed-rolls rotated.

It will be observed that in the use of that form of the apparatus which I have thus far described it will be only necessary after passing the wire or cable over the rollers e and f to place the same between the feed-rolls, then turn the bridge-pieces t' into their operative position,and then manipulate the screws 72, in order to force the upper shaft j downwardly, so as to effect the necessary clamping of the cable between said feed-rolls before operating the crank 7' so as to drive said cable. As will be obvious, the springs 71 are adapted to act to normally force the divided bearing-blocks apart, so that when the screws 71 are unscrewed the grip upon the wire or cable will be automatically released. If desired, the peripheral or bearing surfaces of the feed-rolls j j which, it should be stated, are concave, may be serrated. This is shown in connection with the corresponding devices of the modified form of my invention shown in Fig. 5 and hereinafter to be described.

In Figs. 5, 6, and 12 I have shown a driving mechanism wherein several feed-rolls are employed instead of but two for driving the wire or cable. The frame for this mechanism is substantially similar to the frame for the mechanism already described, with the exception that, besides the bracketf which projects laterally and upwardly from the plate f, said plate f is also provided with another bracket 76, which extends from the other side.

for the mechanism hereinbefore described.

The platefand the bracketsf and 7c carry divided bearing-blocks h, the arrangementand construction of and the manner of mounting and holding in place said bearing-blocks being substantially the same as has been described with reference to the mechanism shown in the first four figures. The bearingblocks in the mechanism now being referred to form journals for two or more shafts Z Z, having interm eshing pinions Z i respectively, whereby motion is transmitted from the one to the other. One of these shafts, preferably the upper one, carries a wormwheel Z, that is driven by a worm Z journaled in bearing-plates Z, secured to the bracket f and having a crank F.-

m m designate two or more feed-rolls having concave and serrated peripheral surfaces, said feed rolls being mounted upon the shafts Z Z; n a, two or more movable or adj ustable brackets having flanges n 7%, which project through slots 41 n in the horizontal portion of the bracket 7t and which are connected and adapted to be moved simultaneously toward or away from each other by a double bolt n Each bracket has a pair of parallel horizontal arms 0, in which are journaled feed-rolls 0 0 substantially similar tothe feed-rolls m on already described. Each of said brackets is also provided with a pair of vertically-extending arms p p, carrying pins 19 19 respectively, each of which is adapted to engage an annular groove 11,

, formed in a collar 19 that constitutes an integral portion of beveled pinions 19 that are keyed onto the shaft Z Z. The beveled pinions 19 intermesh with an integral beveled pinion p on each of the feed-rolls 0 0 there being two or more beveled pinions p.

In view of the above description it will be seen that when the double-ended bolt 72 is operated the brackets will be moved toward or away from each other, so as to tighten or release the grip of the rolls 0 0 upon the wire or cable. The rolls m mf are of course operated in a manner already described.

5 designates a pin that penetrates that per tion of each bracket n n which protrudes downwardly through the horizontal part of the brackets 7s, said pin being adapted to prevent an upward tilting of the bracket n or n which-the drawing together of said brackets n n in order to grip the cable has a tendency I to effect.

shafts above referred to.

In Figs. '7 to 11, inclusive, I have illustrated several systems of gearing whereby different degrees of power of driving the horizontal shafts maybe secured. In Figs. 7 and 9 the power is taken from asmall pinion q, carried upon a shaft q, journaled in the bracket f and an auxiliary bracket g and driven by a crank q 'onto a larger pinion g which is carried upon one of the horizontal In Figs. 8 and 10 the arrangement of thegearing is similar to that shown in Figs. 7 and 9, with the exception that the power is transmitted from the smaller pinion q to the larger pinion 1 through a pair of intermediate pinions g and q, that are rigidly secured together and are journaled upon astub-shaft 11 which projects from the bracketf one of said pinions g g being larger than the other and in mesh with the pinion g. In the diagrammatic View Fig. 11 a single pinion g is adapted to transmit power from the smaller pinion q to the larger pinion g being journaled upon a stubshaft g", which may project from the bracket f the same as the stub-shaft g If desired, the wire or cable e may carry a tool r for cleaning the conduit, or, if desired or necessary, in order to facilitate the operation of driving the wire or cable through said conduit carriages if, having rollers it, may be clamped onto said wire or cable. I have shown and described in Letters Patent Nos. 599,089 and 614,597, issued, respectively, February 15,1898, and November 22, 1898, a cleaning-tooland carriage suitable for the purposes above referred to.

By virtue of the fact that my apparatus is so constructed that it can be variously adjusted not only may the driving mechanism be brought into alinement with a selected conduit, whatever the position thereof, but different sizes of cables, the, can be accommodated and the grip of the several feed-rolls can be increased or diminished at will, ac-

cordingly as the cable is a heavy or light one and it is more or 'less difficult to force it through the conduit.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an apparatus for forcing or driving wire, wire rope, cables or the like through conduits, the combination of the forcing or driving means proper and means for adjustably suspending said driving means in an operative position relatively to the conduit, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for forcing or driving wire, wire rope, cables or the like from a manhole through conduits communicating therewith, the combination of the driving or forcing means proper and means for adjustably suspendingsaid driving means in an operative position relatively to the conduits and consisting of a bar adapted to bridge the mouth of the manhole and a hanger carrying said driving means at its lower end and adjustably secured to said bar, substantially as described.

wire, wire rope, cables or the like from a manhole through conduits communicating therewith, the combination of the forcing or'driving means proper, a slotted bar adapted to bridge the mouth of saidmanhole, aslot-ted hanger, a bolt penetrating the-slots in said hanger and the bar, said driving or forcing 'meansproper being secured to the lower end of said hanger, a slotted bracket, a bolt penetrating a slot in said bar and in the bracket, and rollers carried by said bracket and the driving or forcing means proper,substantially as described. v

4. An apparatus for forein g or driving wire, wire rope, cables or the like through conduits, consisting of a suitable frame,revoluble shafts adj ustably mounted in said frame, intermeshing pinions connecting said shafts, and coacting feed-rolls carried on said shafts, substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus for forcing or driving wire, wire rope or cables or the like through conduits, a suitable frame comprising a plate and a bracket projecting therefrom, revoluble shafts adjustably mounted in said plate and the bracket, intermeshingpinions mounted on said shafts, and coacting feed-rolls carried on said shafts, said plate and the bracket being disposed on opposite sides of the pinions and said pinions being spaced from the feed-rolls by one of them, substantially as described.

6. In an apparatus for forcing or driving wire, wire rope, cables or the like through conduits, a suitable frame comprising a plate and a bracket projecting therefrom, revoluble shafts mounted in said plate and the bracket, inter-meshing pinions mounted on said shafts, coacting feed-rolls carried on said shafts, said plate and the bracket being disposed on opposite sides of the pinions and said pinions being spaced from the feed-rolls by one of them, springs arranged in said bracket and the plate and between the shafts, and means for adjusting said shafts relatively to each other, substantially as described.

7. In an apparatus for forcing or driving Wire, wire rope, cables or the like through conduits, a suitable frame comprising a plate and a bracket projecting therefrom, revoluble shafts mounted in said plate and the bracket, intermeshing pinions mounted on said shafts, coactingfeed-rolls carried on said shafts, said plate and the bracket being dis- .posed on opposite sides of the pinions and said pinions being spaced from the feed-rolls by one of them, flanged bearing-blocks for said shafts mounted in said plate and the bracket, springs disposed between said bearing-blocks, and suitably-mounted adjustingscrews adapted to act against one of said bearing-blocks in each pair,'substantially as described.

8; In an apparatus forforcing or driving wire, wire rope,- cables or the like through conduits, a suitable frame comprising a plate and abracket projecting therefrom, said plate and the bracket being provided with slots each open at one end, revoluble shafts mounted in said plate and the bracket, inter-meshing pinions mounted on said shafts, coacting feedrolls carried on said shafts, said plate and the bracket being disposed on opposite sidesof the pinions and said pinions being, spaced from the feed-rolls by one of them, flanged March, 1899.

screw'mounted in each bridge-piece and adapted to act against the adjoining bearing-block, substantially as described.

9. An apparatus for forcing or driving wire, Wire rope, and electric cables or the like through conduits, consisting of a suitable frame,revoluble shafts mounted in said frame, means for transmitting power from one of saidshafts to the other, said frame consisting of a plate and brackets projecting oppositely therefrom, movable brackets mounted in one of the brackets of said frame, coacting feedrolls carried by said shafts,other coactingfced rolls carried by said movable brackets, and means for transmitting power from one of said shafts to said last-named feed-rolls, substantially as described.

10. An apparatus for forcing or driving wire, wire rope, and electric cables or the like through conduits, consisting of a suitable frame,revoluble shafts mounted in said frame, means for transmitting power from one of said shafts to the other, said frame consisting of a plate and brackets projecting oppositely therefrom, movable brackets mounted in one of the brackets of said frame, coacting feedrolls carried bysaid shafts, other coactingfeedrolls carried by said movable brackets, means for transmitting power from one of said shafts to said last-named feed-rolls, and means for adjusting the movable brackets and the feedrolls carried thereby relatively to each other, substantially as described.

11. An apparatus for forcing or driving wire,

wire rope, and electric cables or the likethrough conduits, consisting of a suitable frame,revoluble shafts adj ustably mounted in said frame, suitably-journaled feed-rolls operatively connected to said shafts, intermeshing pinions carried by said shafts, straightening-rolls journaled in said frame, a guide roller journaled in said frame, and driving means operatively connected to one of said shafts, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of JOHN WRIGLEY. Witnesses:

W. BENJAMIN,

Enw. MOMAHON. 

